Schooling device for airplane pilots



Q, 1940:. i H. KUPPENBENDER 2,186,545

-SCHOOLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILDTS Filed Jan. 28, 1938 14 sheets-sheet 1 lamg, E94@ H. KuP'PENBENDER i SCHOOLING DEVICE FOR ARPLANE PILTS .14 ,sheets-Sheena Filed Jan. 28, .1938

R E D N E B N E P P U K .H

scHooLING DEVICE EUR AIRPLANE PILTs Filed Jan. 28, 1938 14 SheelLS--Sheerl 3 u, jTIITH SCHGOLING DEVICEFOR AIRPLANE PILDTS Filed Jan. 28, 1958 14 sheets-sheet 4 ,MWMM

Jan. 9, 1940. H. KUPPENBENDER y 2,186,545

SCHOOLING DVIGE FOR AIRPLANE P-ILOTS Filed Jan. l28, 1958 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan- 9 1940- H. KUPPENBENDER r2,186,545

SCHOOLING DEVICE ,FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS v zviladqan.'28,1958 14 sheets-sheet s Al-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI Jan. 9, 1940. H. KuPPENBl-:NDl-:R Y 2,186,545

SCHOOLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS Filed Jan. 28,'1958 14 sheets-sheet 1 www@ Jan. 9, 1940. H. KUPPENBENDER A' 2,185,545

SCHOOLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS Filed Jan. 2a, 193s 14 sheets-.sheet s mr n lJan. 9, 1940. H, KUPPENBENDER 2,186,545

SCHODLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS y Filed Jan.. x28, 19:58 '.1-4 sheets-sheet :'9

Jan. 9, v1940. H. KuPPl-:NBENDER u SCHOOVLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS 14 sheets-sheet 1o) Filed Jan. v28, 1938 Jam 9, 1940. H. KuPPENBENDx-:R

SCHODLING DEVICE FOR AQRPLANE PILOTS' Filed Jan. 28, 1938 14 Sheets-Sheetl 11 Jan. 9, 194o.`

H. KUPPEVNBENDER SJDOLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE llLOTS 14 sheets-#sheet 12 Filed- Jan. 28. 1958 Filed 28, 19% l Sheets-Sizes?, 13

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y; 9' EM@ f ha. KUPPENEENDER l' @5545 SCEOQLING DEVICE FOR AIRPLANE PILOTS Fild Jan. 28, 2.938 lll!4 Sheets-Sheet 14 Patented Jan. 9,

.PATENT OFFICE 2,186,545 I scnooLING DEVICE Foa AIRPLANE Pmo'r Heinz Kuppenbender, Dresden, Germany, assignor to Zeiss Ikon Aktiengesellschaft, Dresden, Germany Application January 28, 1938, Serial No. 187,535

32 Claims.`

This invention relates to a schooling .device for testing the skill of flyers who are to' release bombs from the aerialvehicle in which they travel. v

It is an object of the invention to provide a de vice of the character described in which photodetermining the speed of the Vehicle by utilizing the indications furnished by an instrument which shows its altitude and by selectingv for the determination of the speed an auxiliary target or object on the ground itself.

Another object of the invention isto provide a device of the character described in which the photographic record is produced from replicas of those instruments which/"are directly under the control of the operator while the replicas themselves are not accessible to the operator but are automatically altered when the instruments accessible and Visible to the operator are altered in their relation to each other. It is, furthermore, an object of the invention to provide in a device of the character described, in association with an aerial camera adapted to produce a series of pictures, a connection between this camera and those elements of the instrument under the operators control which determine the line of vision to the object selected by the operator. In this manner the operator upon setting the instrument to enable him to aim at a selected object automatically also moves the.

series of pictures showing the setting of the instruments accessible to the operator.

50'fgu'ished? from a series of pictures' showing appiioximately the same object, whereby the observer of the photographic record will be enabled to'check by means of these records whether the A`primary or test flight for determining the speed of the vehicle was carriedout properly and will also be" enabled to Acheck whether the approach ight im the object to be bombed was carried out iii/accordance with the settings which should have 'been made as a result of the test iiight.

The invention, furthermore, has the object of providing in a device of the character described, means for facilitating the movement of various elements accessible to and actuatable by, the operator, in such manner that any alteration of this setting from the setting required for the test flight to the setting required for the approach iiight to the object to be bombed can be carried 'out without any diiliculties and with the least possible loss of time.

With these and numerous other objects in view, which will become apparent from a perusal of the following specication, the invention will be described below under reference to one speciiic example illustrated in the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the instrument from the right hand side, shown 'in normal or neutral position;

Fig. 2 shows the instrument from the same side, with the camera and the sighting device properly adjusted for practice operations;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation from the opposite side; f

Fig. 4' is a front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation;

.l Fig. 6 a top plan view;

- Fig. 'l shows diagrammatically the motion picture camera in side elevation. and film advancing mechanism of the same;

Fig. '8 is a fragmentary side elevation and partly section of the film feeding mechanism;

Fig. 9 shows in transverse sectional view additional details of the camera mechanism;

, Fig. 10 is a section on line A-B of Fig. 3, and

partly rear elevation of a connector housing between sight carrier and camera Fig. 11 is partly a section on line E-Fiof Fig.

12, and partly elevation of parts shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a. transverse Fig. 13 is a section on'line G-H of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a section on line J-K 01113.16; Fig. 15 is a section on line L-ll of Eg. 16; Fig. 16 is a section on line N-OM'Eiig. 11; Fig. 1'7 is a section on line P-Q ot Fig. 10, through the connector housing; v

Fig. 18 is top plan view on an assembly 0f elements inposition to be photographed;

i section online C-D oi Fig. 10, through the connector housing;

. adjusting shaft, while shaft 1 serves for verticalv Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the assembly of elements shown in Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a rear elevation of said assembly;

Fig. 21 shows diagrammatically the electric control mechanisms for another element to be photographed; Y

Fig. 22i1lustrates a, portion of the nlm produced by the camera on an enlarged scale; K

Fig. 23 shows a multiple scale carrier forming a part of theinstrument;

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary side elevation and partly section of an airplane on which the device is shown mounted; and

Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic top plan view and partly section of the airplane and the device A mounted thereon.

preferably in a fore and aft plane to the outboard framework or wall of the aerial vehicle (not shown). This plate, therefore, may be considered a part of the airplane or the like on which the device is secured. The base plate I is of approximately triangular shape and may be attached by means, of attachment bolts (not shown), passing through holes 2 adjacent the three corners of the triangle. The assembly of instruments forming the instrument unit is mounted on the base plate I by means of a bracket 3 provided with an arm 4 projecting horizontally from the base plate. This arm 4 is rotatable in the base plate I, whereby the entire assembly kalso may be rocked about the axis of the arm and may beheld in the adjusted langular position by a clamping screw 5, Figs. 3, 4 and 6. The clamping screw 5 extends through an arcuate slot 6 in the base plate I and is connected with a bail-shaped portion'v of the bracket 3 which forms a pivotally adjustable support-A ingvstructure of several parts of the device, the center of the arcuate slot 6 obviously being located in the axis of the pivot arm 4.

The rotatable bracket 3 carries rotatably a shaft 1 whose axis is at right angle to that of arm 4, and is shown to intersect the same. The arm 4 may be termed the transverse horizontal pivotal adjustment. The vertical shaft 1 projects upward beyond bracket 3 and carriesiin the projecting part the end of a rod 8 terminating in a knob 9 at the free end. By swinging this rod sideways with respect to the board or plate I, the shaft 1 can be turned about its axis and lateral angular adjustment of the parts carried thereby may readily be elected. Adjustment of this character may be resorted to to compensate for lateral drift of wind-pressure. In this manner the entire device is mounted for universal movement on the base plate.

The vertical shaft 1 of the supporting bracket 3 may serve for mounting the sighting assembly I. The sighting unit comprises a longitudinal frame or beam II, Figs. l'to 4, on which a plate4 I2 of a set of scales is removably supported. This plate I2 is exchangeable to permit the rapid attachment of different plates, which are calibrated with reference to the type of vehicle on which they are to be used. Of the three I4 and I5 positioned on the plate I2, the scale I3 is used for indicating the angular elevation to which the sighting device is set to permit the yer to sight at a selected object for the purpose of determining the speed of the vehicle. The scale I4 is the scale on which the altitude of the aerial vehicle is indicated. Scale I5 is calibrated to show time intervals determined by stop watches for certain operations. The three scales are shown to be in fixed relation to each other.

The frame I I on which the scale carrying plate I2 is removably supported also is associated with a carriage I6 for indicators cooperating with the scales I3, I4, I5.l This carriage slidable longitiudinally on the frame II and plate I2, also is equipped with a locking device 2D'. The locking device preferably is gravity actuated as indicated in Fig. 3, but the details of this device are unessential for the present description. It is of such structure that it automatically holds the carriage I5 in any adjusted position on the frame II until it is manually released bythe operator. The indicators or marks on carriage I6 cooperating with the scales I3, I4 and I5 are shown at I1, I8 a'nd I9, respectively. As shown in Fig. 6, the indicators are horizontally offset from each other. But as the scales are in xed relation to each other, and the scale values are relative values only, these scales might be arranged in such manner that horizontally alined indicators I3, I4, I5 might be applied to the same.

The carriage I6, furthermorefis provided with a liquid level 2| of the bubble type, mounted longitudinally of the device, and an additional liquid level 22 transversely disposed on a lateral projection 23 of carriage I 6, as shown in Fig. 6. Small housings 20|, 202 are mounted on the carriage so as to be movable with the same, and contain lamps, the details of which are not shown, to illuminate the bubble levels and the indications on the scales.

'I'he lateral projection 23 of the carriage, furthermore, is equippedwith the upper sight I6 consisting of a plate clip or angular element 24 having a shallow notch 25 at the tip and having a deeper bifurcation 26 at the rear end. A pin 21 entering between the prongs 'of-the bifurcated portion 26 is adapted to be actuated by some gearing or other transmission (not shown) beneath the carriage through a manipulating screw 28,' Fig. 6, whereby the pin 21 may be shifted laterally so as to set the sight 24 in respect `of the transverse bubble level 22. When the device is horizontally positioned and the sight v 24 properly adjusted, the bubble can be observed through the fork 26.

'I'he vertical shaft 1 which is rotatable in the bracket 3 carries at its lower end a support 29 for the lower 'sight This support comprises a tubular portion 30, from which a holding bracket nally of the thread 34 by means of a slide bracket larly also the time indicated by watch 51 and 38 provided with an altitude scale 38 and connected with the frame 32. The function of this auxiliary sight 31 is to call the attention of the -bomber to the fact thatthe operation of the' position in alinement with the thread, as shown in Fig. 6.

The bracket 29 at the foot of the vertical shaft 1 also supports a tubular sleeve 4l longitudinally disposed between the bearing 30 and the frame 32. This sleeve also serves as a bracket and at 'the same time constitutes a bearing for a supporting rod 42, the rear end whereof is`rigidly unitedl with a housing 43.

This housing, las shown in Figs. 3, 10 and 17, comprises an upper larger cylindrical compartment 44, a -lower smaller approximately cylindrical compartment 45, and'a short interposed box-shaped bridge portion 45, a rear wall 41, and a detachable front wall 46. 'I'his housing structure is, therefore, rigidly united Withthat assembly of elements which is carried by the bracket 6, including the scalesth'e sights', the levels and their adjusting means. It' may be stated here that the lower cylindrical compartment forms a bearing for a projecting tubular trunnion 49 of the camera C, whereby the latter may be rotatably adjusted about the axis 'of this compartment. 'Ihe housing 43, therefore, serves as aconnecting means between the instrument unit I and the camera unit II, which units are rotatably adjustable Vrelatively to eachY other. 'I'his housing serves to receive a plurality of inthe name plate 58 will be photographed.

In order to produce these pictures on the iilm iny the camera, the lower compartment 45 contains a reflector 60, securedto the front wall 48. 5

`carried in the lens mountingl supported in a 10 partition wall 62 of the camera. 'Ihe end wall 63 of the camera is provided with that projecting tubular stud 49 which iinds. its bearing in the lower cylindrical compartment 45, and the reflector as well as the lens mounting are in the l axis of the stud to remain in operative relation upon anyrotary relative displacement of housing structure v43 and camera C, Figs. 10, 12, about the axis of the tubular trunnion 49.

The lens supported 'in the mounting 6| is of 20 such conguration or combination that it willreduce the size of the pictures reflected by the'- projector 60. The lens is also associated with a prismatic reilector 64, the reecting face whereof projects this reduced picture of the elements disposed on the'carrier 54 through an aperture 85 in a wall 66 of the camera C. .As will be seen Afrom Fig. l0, the aperture 65 is covered Iby a thin glass plate directly beneath the film 61. The reduced picture of the assembly of elements supported by the carrier 54, therefore, is reproduced on the film 61 upon exposure of the latter.

The aeria1 motion picture camera C shown by way of example may be of any desired construction. The device can be used in association withany type of aerial camera as longas it is supported for cooperation with the replicas, as described. 'In the embodiment illustrated inthe' drawings, the front wall I 50.of the camera has a lower xed wall plate |5| and an upper hingeddicating means, some of which are replicas\'of\0vei` DOIvtiOn |52 may bewug Open DOStiOn indicating means located outside the housing,

'I'his box shaped carrier unites in a self-contained assembly replicas 55 and 56 of the indicating members 2|, 22, namely the bubble levels on carriage i6. It also serves for supporting a watch 51, and a name plate 58, on which the name l of vthe bomber may be inscribed. The openings' for the level replicas extend through the body.of this carrier, as indicated in Figs.

18 and 20. Since the housing structure 43 is in rigid relation-to the beam or frame 1, the

indications of the levels 2|,'22, will appear dutings of the levels 55, 58 corresponding accurately to the settings ofthe levels 2| and .22, are used as objects for photographic reproduction upon the illmexposed in the Simi- `abttli'e/hinges |53 upon movement of a handle |54 on the outer face of the cover |52 about the latch pivot |55. The iixed plate |50 of the camera is shown to be provided with a switch |56 for closing the circuit through the motor |00, Fig. 7. This plate I[5| also carries a regulator |53 for setting the speed at which the lm is advanced, three speeds (frames of iilm per second) being available for selection. 'I'his plate also carries a closure member |58 which is removable to permit the insertion of a hand crank or the like, not shown, through the'plate |5| for engagement with the gearing of the iilm ieed mechanism if it is desired to ldrive temporarily the nlm feed mechanism by a crank or the like. These iigures `also kshow that the housing of the motion picture camera isprovided with a downwardextension |59 in which a portion of the motor |00 is supported. A knob |60 is asso- 40, ly attached removable cover portion 152. TheWM ciated with the shaft ofthe motor, for starting r the motor manually in case it should be of the type requiring this manual starting. movement,

of example only, and do not form any part of the.

presentinvention.

As indicated in Figs. 11 to 16, the wall 52 of camera C is provided with an arcuate shelf 61, projecting towards the housing structure 43 adjacent the lower end of the wall. A similar arcu/ate shelf 88 projects in the same direction above shelf 61, and merges into the tubular trunnion 48, Fig. 1l. Ribs 18, 1|, Fig. 16, projecting 15 from wall 62 outwardly and substantially radially at the ends of the shelves 61, 88 produce in this manner a chamber 12 which is open at the front, Fig. 11. 5 lindrical .compartment 45 has at its lower edge an arcuate flange 14 with an elongated opening 15. A carrier 16 of transparent material for a set of scales which corresponds as to its relative graduations to the set of scales I3, I4 and I5, and which has arcuate shape is located in said opening to extend equidistantly from the shelves B1, 58, and is secured to the flange 14 of the housing structure 43.

A transparent disc 11 having a single indi- 15 eating line 18, as shown in Fig. 15, is disposed beneath the scale carrier 15 in an opening of an enlargement of shelf B1. A lamp 19 mounted in brackets 80 on an insulating plate 8|, Figs. 11 and 16, below vthe extension 61 illuminates the 20 scale carrier 16 as well as the indicator dise` 11, so that the picture of a group of graduations on carrier 16 and the marking line 18 is projected into a lens whose mounting 82 is supported `in a stud 83 secured in the partition wall 82, Fig. 11. The picture is transmitted from this lens through the reflectors |36 and 81, both of which may be constructed as prisms located in a supporting bracket 88 in the partitionwall 62.-

The second reflector 81 throws the image of the 80 respective group of scale indications traversed by an image of marking line 18 through another opening 84 in the wall 68 of camera housing C. From Figs. 3, 10, ll and 14 to 16, it will be seen that the downward extension 13 of the cylin- -785- drieal compartment and the elements enclosed. therein are protected by a removable cap 89 having a special -hinged hood 90 for the lamp 19.

Theegroumi above which the aerial vehicle 40 flies may berhotegsaphed in a known way through the compound lens9| Vwhich projects groundward from the housing of the camera C. The details of this lens mounting are .not subject matter of this invention and may be similar 5to that of other aerial motion picture cameras. As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the picture produced by lens 8| is projected through window 92 and through the thin lglass plate onto the lm 61.

Each frame of the nlm, therefore, may apmi, pear as shown in Fig. 22. This record presents in each frame a picture 93 of a portion of the ground over which the night is made, a picture 94 of a group of graduations from scale carrier 16 and marking line 18, and a picture 95 of the elements assembled in carrier 5 4. The reference characters I3', I4', I5', 18', 55', 56', 51' and 58' of pictures 94 and 95 correspond to the elements which they represent.

The intersecting lines 91, 98 appearing in the 001. picture 93 of the ground area, are produced by providing that portion of the glass plate whichI underlies the film at the point of the exposure, Fig. 10, with two intersecting lines which may be `etched into the same or produced otherwise.

s Their rectangular relation, with one of these lines extending accurately in the direction of flight greatly assists in the orientation of the observer of the record with respect to the ground surface photographed at 93.

705 For the'purpose of angularly setting the camera C in accordance with the elevation angle to which the two sights 25, 36 have been set by 'movement of the carriage I6, an assembly of elements may be used, as described in the following;

j A bar 96, Figs. 1 and 2, projects upward from An extension 13 of the-wall 4,1 of cy' the camera housing and the top end of this bar is provided with an elongated slot 91 adapted to retain slidably a pin 98 which projects laterally from another bar 99 rigidly connected with the carriage I 6. On this carriage the sight 24, the 5 levels 2|, 22, and the scale indicators I1, I8, I9 are mounted. When, therefore, the carriage I6 is shifted longitudinally from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, a pivotal Y movement is transmitted to the camera C to rock 10 the same about the axis of the lower or trunnion section 45 of housing 43, while housing 43 yitself'y remains in unaltered .relation lto the vehicle(l Owing to the mounting of the reflector 60 and lens 6| in the axis of this pivotal movement, 15 Fig. 10, the projection of images of the elements assembled in the carrier 54 will not be interfered with.

The angular adjustment of the camera C causes the indicator disc 11, Figs. 15 and 16, to 20 change its position relatively to the scale carrier 10 fixed in the stationary housing 43. The indicating line 18 will, therefore, appear transversely .of the three scales on the scale carrier 18 corresponding to the setting of the carriage I2 and its indicators I1, I8, I9 with respect to the scales I3, I4 and I5 respectively on the scale support I2, which is exchangeably fixed to the longitudinal frame or beam I I.

In Fig. 6, the indicators I1, I8, I8 appear not 30 in a straight transverse line, to facilitate the reading of the scale units bylutilizing bevel edge marks in a known way. It is obvious, however, that by'longitudinally shifting the scales I3, I4, I5 relatively to each other the values on these 3i scales to which the indicator i1, I8, |9 are directed might be transversely alined. The replica 1 of the Scales I3, I4, l5 snispiayeehveeer/ 1 6 'shows em inA such position that a single transverse line will indicate the same values as 40 the three, relatively immovable, indicators l1,

The film moving mechanism for the motion picture camera is represented by Way of example in Figs. '7, 8 and 9. The housing of the camera 45 is divided into an upper section for gearing and film reels, and a lower section for the motor and lens.

A motor |00 actuates by worm |0| and worm gear |02 the intermediary shaft |03 which con- 50 trols the continuous film feed mechanism,` the intermittent lm advancing mechanism, and the shutter.

The film reels |04, |05 are mounted ina lightproof magazine or case |08, which can easily 55 be removed from the camera or inserted to proper relationship with the film guide |01 and with the train of driving gears |08, |09, IIO, Fig. 8. The

.latter also may drive a footage meter a speed governor (not'shown) and auxiliary mech- 50 anisms (not shown), as in other cameras. The shutter ||2, shown inFlgs. 8 and 9, may be of any desired suitable configuration and is shown here as a substantially circular slotted disc. It is actuated from shaft |03 by means of bevel gear 65 transmissions ||3, ||4 and jack shaft IIS. The gripper IIG isdriven from shaft' |03 through the counterweighted crank ||1, `while being guided for reciprocating and swinging movement by the pin ||8 engaging the cam slot H9. One 70 or more fingers |20 push the film in the desired direction through `entry of thesepins into the sprocket holes of the lm, while projecting through slot I2| in the wall 88.

The film magazine |00 is maintained'in po'si- 75 ,verse bubble levels 2|, 22. The flyer, furthertion by a cover |6| which'is hingedly supported in the interior of the housing at |62 land which subsequent to the insertion o! the magazine will be held in position by the retaining device |64 diagrammatically indicated in Fig. '1.

Any other lm'actuating and shutter mechanism ymay be-used in place of the elements` described here by way of example only.

Since the use of the apparatus involves the production of two records vcontaining similar pictures, means are provided for adding selectively to any group of pictures a distinctive record element. A mechanism controlled manually may for instance project a part between the-lens and illm whereby a representation of this projectedpart in the pictures of one group readily distinguishes them-from those of another group. A switch, here illustrated as a stop watch |30, Fig. 21, causes uponits release and while in operation current-to iiow through an electromagnet |3| which is thereby energized, and attracting the right hand end of its armature |32 projects the. opposite end provided `with a finger |33 into the iield of the picture 03, Fig. 22. 'I'he finger |33 is movable in a plane below and close to the wall 66 over which the lxn travels. The

,picture of .this nger remains visible in all of the pictures 33 successively taken by the aerial camera as long as` the watch |30 is running. The watch obviously may be located within reach of the operator, and is connected with the electromagnet |3| through a connector block |34, to which also the-leads from a battery or some other source of electric energy (not shown) are connected.

The release of th bomb from the aerial vehicle may be eifected by manipulation of some element. within reach of the operator, as for in- ,stance by the hand lever |36 diagrammatically shown in Fig. 21. I'he movement of this hand lever to release position forthe bomb also may be used to energize the electromagnet |3|, since conductors |36 extend from terminals adapted to I6 to make aseries of exposures of thepoint at lwhich the bomb struck the ground.. In this manner the hits also are photographicallyrecorded.

The operation of the device maybe as follows:

Yl'n order to release a bomb to strike a selected object, an auxiliary test night is made to determine certainiactors. 'The ballistic curve. of a projectile dropping from an airplane in flight depends on the speed of the plane andA its height above ground. The height above ground may be determined through an altitude meter. The' length of time consumed in flying over a selected test stretch enables the ilyerto determine the' speed ofthe vehicle with respect to the ground.

For the purpose of making these ancillary determinations with accuracy, the ilyer must ilrst f position the aerial vehicle in space so as to be horizontal-an operation which can be carried out upon observing the longitudinaland transmore, must turn the entire device about the vertical axis 1 if there should be air currents laterally acting on the aerial vehicle and having a tendency to shift it from the direction of ilight. 'I'hese adjustments having been made by the yer, the plane of movement out of which the projectile is to be released, is determined as a plane parallel to the ground.

- at which the bomb for striking the actual object is to be released.

After having determined the altitude bymeans of a suitable instrument, (as for instance, a barometer) the operator shifts the carriage I6 to bring the indicator I8 to this altitude indication. This adjustment of carriage I6 to the determined altitude automatically brings about a certain relation of the upper sight 24, mounted on the carriage I6, to the lower sight 36, which does not move with the carriage |6. The elevation of the sights 24,36 for the auxiliary object is now determined.

I'he ilyer having selected this ancillary object or target as an end point ofthe test stretch, and having set thesights 24, 36' to the elevation conditioned by his altitude, now lcontinues his flight in line toward the auxiliary object. When the auxiliary-object enters the line of vision determined by sight 24 and secondary companion sight 31 the operator'starts the camera. At the instant at which this auxiliary object selected by the iiyer now becomes visible in theline of the sights 24, 36, the yer releases a stop-watch, for instance stop-watch |30, to operation. Immedi- I6 is returned to its normal position in which the two sights 24, 36 are in vertical'alinement.

Y -ately after the start of this watch, the carriage p The sighting Iline previously at an oblique angle to the ground is now restored to vertical relation. While having his instrument in a position for vertical sighting, the flyer continues his flight in direction towards the auxiliary object, for which purpose he observes the direction indicating .elements 34, 40 combinedwith the sight frame 33. If, now upon continuation of this test night, the auxiliary object appears in the verti- Y l cal line of the sights 24, 36, the flyer instantly `stops the watch.

-Since the altitude of the vehicle above ground is known, and the elevation of the sights furlnished an angle of a rectangular triangle whose base is formed by the test stretch, the length of the latter can easily be computed, and hence also thespeed of the vehicle traveling. for the time indicated by the stop watch over this stretch.

The records completed during the test Right will show a number of pictures of the ground appearance from pictures 93 and the corresponding picture of the time piece 51 indicate the elapsed time of the test iiight.

The preliminary test having been nished, the l flyer now proceeds to carry out the approach flight to the actual'object in the same direction at the same altitude and at the same speed.

The time elapsed for the test iiight and indicated between the start and stop oi the watch is now the factor which determines the setting of the carriage i6. The carriage is set to this time value on scale i5, and as this scale has a iixed'relation to the altitude scale I3, to which the elevation scale I4 also has a xed relation, the sights 24, 36 are again brought to a diierent angle relatively to the ground. This angle is dependenton the speed of the airplane. The point at which the bomb will strike the ground depends on the ballistic curve path described by the bomb upon its release. This point,l therefore, is obviously dependent on the speed of the plane, and its altitude.

While the flyer then continues this ight of approach to the actual object he advisably checks once more the horizontal stabilization of the entire device, as shown by the bubble levels 2l, 22 and the adjustment about the vertical axis to compensate for lateral air drift. He also during this time will start the preparatory operations preceding the actual release manipulations for the bomb. Thelght is continued until the object to be bombed enters the sighting line 24, 3l at which instant the operation of the camera is started. This production of photographic records now vcan take place without the finger l33 appearing in the pictures, since the stop watch is not operated. When the object appears in the sighting line 24, 36, the bomb must be released. If all of the tests and adjustments have been carried out properly, the bomb actually must strike the object.

the bomb struck the target, or not. The photographic record of the setting of indicator 18 on scales I3', I4', l5 clearly shows whether the right values had been correlated. .The record of the test flight is clearly distinguished from that of the bombing ight, and the instantof bomb release again is indicated by the re-appearance of finger |30 in picture 93. Obviously the camera also can be reset vertically immediately after release of the bomb to photograph the effect of the projectile.

The entire device may be located on an airplane in'any suitable position where inspection of the ground area is feasible. By way of example, the location of the entire device on an airplane is indicated in Figs. 24 and 25.

In these gurs the airplane is shown as havlng abody 200 provided with wings and a cockpit 202. The'landing gear 205i is shown withdrawn as for iiight, and a propeller 204 is located at the nose of `the airplane, and is actu- 'ated by any engine., not shown. The entire device'to'rming the subject 'matter of thev present invention, is shown as being disposed adjacent the nose of the body and laterally of the axis of the body which permits the observer to be stationed near the front end of the airplane in the interior of the same so as notv to interfere with the observations of the pilot and the cockpit. From Fig. 24, it will also be apparent that the bottom part of the body is provided with an opening 2|0 through which the observer may sight the selected ground areas and through which also the motion picture camera may photograph the sighted portion or the portions which form the target.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination of an instrument unit, an aerial camera, sighting elements on the instrument unit selectively adjustable by the operator to sight a selected target, level elements on the instrument unit variable in accordance with the iiight conditions, a plurality of means for indicating to the operator the positions of said elements, replicas of said indicating means, nonaccessible to the operator and mean for projectirig` pictures of said replicas into the aerial camera, whereby the latter is adapted to photograph simultaneously the ground areas over which the airplane flies and the relative positions of said elements.

2. In'a device of the character described, the combination of an aerial camera movably mounted on the airplane, a photographic iilm, means for moving said iilm in a predetermined plane relatively to the camera, target sighting elements selectively adjustable by the operator, means for indicating the positions of said elements, replicas of said indicating means non-accessible to the operator, but variable in accordance with the adjustments ofsaid elements, and projecting means interposed between the replicas and the camera, said projecting means being disposed to maintain uniform relation of the replicas to the plane of the film in the camera regardless of the relation of the camera to the sighting elements whereby the camera produces photographs of ground areas over which the airplane illes coincidentally With the prodlction of photographs of the means indicating the position to which the sighting elements were adjusted.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of an aerial motion picture camera movable relatively to the airplane and adapted to photograph ground areas during ight, target sighting elements selectively adjustable by the operator, means for indicating the positions to which said sighting elements are adjusted, replicas of saidV indicating means, and means .interposed between the replicas and the camera for projecting pictures of the replicas on the iilm of the camera, in uniform' relation tol the pictures "of the ground area portions produced by the camera regardless of the position of the camera' relatively to the target sighting elements whereby the camera produces' photographs of ground areas over which the airplane flies coincidentally with the production of photographs of the replicas indicating the position to which the sighting elements were adjusted.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of an. instrument unit, an aerial camera adjustable relatively thereto,'level elements on the instrument unit variable in accord- 'ance with ight conditions, replicas of said elements, a self-contained support holding said 

